![]() |
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1 is the first issue of the comic book limited series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return.
The series is written by the original Pink Ranger Amy Jo Johnson and Matt Hotson to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Power Rangers.
Synopsis[]
In an alternate universe, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers defeated Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, but at a terrible cost…and in the wake of that tragedy, the team went their separate ways.
Twenty-two years later, the long-disbanded team reunites to mourn the losses of beloved friends, but Zack and Billy have some unexpected information to share: Jason–the Red Ranger, who has long been operating as a lone vigilante–has disappeared.
Will the remaining Rangers be able to track him down, especially with a mysterious figure in pursuit?
Written by actress, screenwriter, and director Amy Jo Johnson, the original Pink Ranger herself, along with rising star co-writer Matt Hotson (Titans) and renowned artist Nico Leon (Spider-Man, Catwoman), fans can experience something unlike anything they ever have before in the Power Rangers universe, in TV or comics![1][2][3][4]
Plot[]
Chapter One: No More Power Rangers

The Moon breaks from a massive explosion
The story opens on a prologue stating that in 2001, the Power Rangers fought Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd one last time and saved the world. Afterwards, the team broke up, as the images show the Power Rangers (without the Green Ranger) teleporting away from the Moon as it violently explodes and a large piece of it breaks apart from the blast.
In 2023, at the old ruins of the Command Center, a figure falls down and struggles to fight a shadow in the darkness. The figure is revealed to be Jason, who as the Red Ranger continues to attack his assailant with his Blade Blaster but eventually gets defeated and has his Power Coin taken from him by the shadow. He demands to know who she is and she simply states that she is the past come back to haunt him… and the future as she holds up his Coin.
The next day in Angel Grove, Billy is doing an opening ceremony for the Trini Kwan Memorial Park and Youth Center. In his speech, he talks of how Trini was not only the UN’s high commissioner of human rights and the city’s longest serving mayor, but also his very best friend. Not only in its literal sense, but one of the best people he has ever known. She might no longer be with them all, but her city still stands and her friends and all who loved her will carry on her memory and honor her dedication to her community by always trying to be a good friend to others. Billy then brings Zack in to speak, with the crowd of people cheering for the former Black Ranger, which he thanks them for but says today is about Trini, not himself and she was his hero.
Kimberly is watching in the crowds and looks at old photos on a memorial wall in the Center, reminiscing about how she taught her kung fu stances at the Angel Grove Youth Center. She flashes back to the ‘90s and remembers talking about mixing some martial arts with her gymnastics to improve her fighting style. They both smelled the stink of the boys sweating after exercising and decided to leave to go to the mall, the park and maybe having dinner together. The flashback ends and Kimberly says that she misses her.

Tommy’s Grave
At the Cemetery in the pouring rain, Kimberly goes to a grave to leave a bouquet of flowers and Zack shows up. He says that she missed the rest of the ceremony, she says that she stayed during the tearful speech Billy gave and left when the crowds started gushing over the famous Power Ranger.
Zack apologizes, saying he probably should not have posted on his social media feeds that he was going to attend, he did wish that Kimberly would have come up to say a few words though. She insists that she needs to keep a low profile, Zack invites her to come eat with him and Billy somewhere private, but she declines and insists that she needs to get to the airport. Zack still wants to offer her a meal since she has saved his life about seventeen times, the least he can do is buy her a slice of pie. Kimberly corrects him and says it was nineteen times and finally gives in, under the condition that she not be called Kimberly, her name is Emma Phillips, Kimberly Hart is dead. Zack sighs as the two leave, with the tombstone revealed to be that of Kimberly’s late husband Tommy Oliver, who died in 2001.
At Chet’s Diner, the three friends laugh and speak of the good old days, saying how much they missed each other. Billy says that Trini missed Kimberly when she was still alive, which she knows about. Zack says that it isn’t fair that they can’t tell anyone about Trini’s life as a Power Ranger, which angers Kimberly as she insists he keeps his voice down and that she doesn’t want any more “tell all books”. Zack says he technically didn’t tell everything with his book, his autobiography fibbed that he was the only Ranger from Angel Grove and his teammates were people from around the world to protect his friends. Kimberly says that is exactly the point, if he did another book revealing Trini was a Power Ranger, someone could put together their identities and they all would be exposed,
Zack doesn’t understand what the problem is if they were found out, Billy’s company could use the PR boost and Kimberly is living in Canada under a different name so what does she have to lose. Kimberly angrily shouts that she has nothing left to lose (talking about her husband), it isn’t Zack’s place to make decisions that affects everyone else’s lives and he needs to move on. Zack says that maybe she is the one who needs to move on, only getting a glare from her. Billy decides to change the subject and asks Kimberly if she heard about the good that Zack did by revealing his identity organizing a fundraiser called the Clean Power Hip Hop Kido Festival. She says she has not heard of it, Zack says it was a charity event in Tulum, Mexico that is an annual gathering of famous rappers, dancers and martial artists to raise money and it is completely powered by clean energy with 2023’s festival having raised over two million dollars. Kimberly is happy for him and then asks Billy how his phone company is doing.
Billy says it is more of a telecom business and he is hardly in the office anymore on the day to day operations as he uses the money from his company to fund his top secret projects. He recalls how he salvaged Alpha 5’s databanks and operating system, he had been using the data and combining the old Ranger tech to develop a mass production teleportation system after some testing to see if it is safe. He hopes that the technology will revolutionize the delivery of goods and services to give fresh food to needy communities around the globe, evacuation from natural disasters or even possibly move a natural phenomenon like a hurricane away from making landfall and endangering people. His greatest hope is that he can use a teleporter as a bio-filter to remove damaged cells from a person’s body so they cannot die from diseases like cancer.
Kimberly realizes what he is saying and tells him what happened to Trini wasn’t his fault but he still blames himself, saying that if he had done his experiments with his Power Coin’s access to the Morphin Grid sooner, Trini could have lived. Kimberly stops his trail of thought and inquires what he meant by using the Morphin Grid and how that is possible. Billy says that he has been using his Power Coin to make technological breakthroughs, none of which would be possible without the Grid.
Kimberly is furious again, as this is the exact opposite of what they all agreed on twenty two years ago: no more Power Rangers. Billy says technically they promised to never morph again, he is just using his coin to complete his research just as Zack used his to power his festival. Zack facepalms and says thanks for letting that secret out. Kimberly asks what Jason would say about this, to which Zack tells her that is the reason that they actually wanted to talk to her about.
Kimberly remembers not seeing him at the dedication and the two fill her in on the details of what they know. Jason was a firefighter and during a call, an arsonist burned downtown Angel Grove and lots of people died from the blaze. Jason felt guilty for not doing enough to stop the fire, said that he had the power to do more to help and didn’t use it. He disappeared and later Billy noticed that someone was drawing energy from the Grid other than himself and Zack. Jason was morphing into the Red Ranger and he began using his powers to rescue people, then fought crime, then he went completely rogue and engaged in counter-terrorism operations. He then came to the two of them demanding that they stop using the Grid, as he wanted all the power for himself so he could remain morphed as the Red Ranger permanently. Things got weirder when they detected another signature using the Grid, one that they couldn’t identify. Jason assumed it was Kimberly because Trini is dead and they should ask her.
Kimberly says that is crazy, which Billy agrees and that he promised Jason he would find out who it was and contact him but Jason stopped communicating with him a week ago and his signature as well as the other unknown person’s on the Grid just suddenly stopped tapping into it. Kimberly knows that this is awful and she hopes Jason is alright but wonders what she can do about it. The two bluntly ask her to help by all three of them becoming Power Rangers again and going out to find Jason.
Kimberly responds by leaving the diner to look for a taxi, furious that her friends seemingly tricked her as they swore never to morph again. Zack says that they did for twenty two years because she said so and they have never even seen her in all that time, cutting herself off from everybody and leaving her friends. But now one of their own needs them and Zack is willing to break a promise to save a friend. Kimberly hails her taxi as Billy pleads for her help, he knows what being a Ranger cost her and why she left but they need her and her Zord. Billy explains that they need her Zord as it is the only one left and with its flight capability they can cover more ground in the search.
Kimberly angrily tells him to stop it, refusing to help, stating she will never be a Power Ranger again, getting in her cab and riding off to get to her flight back to Canada. Zack says that this turned out to be some reunion as she is driven away. Unbeknownst to all of them, someone was watching from a distance.
In the cab, Kimberly gets texts from someone asking if she is alright, with her responding that she will talk about it later and she will be home tomorrow night. The person on the other end says they will be there and she knows that they asked a million times but they really want to meet her old friends. Kimberly holds her head in frustration, but texts one day maybe they will.

Selena introduces herself to Kimberly.
Two days later back in her Canadian home, “Ms. Phillips” hears a knock on her door. At first she thought it was someone else, asking if they forgot their keys again, only to be surprised by a young Korean-American girl at her doorstep. She addresses her by her old name and introduces herself as Selena, the daughter of Sylvia, Trini’s cousin.
Kimberly tries to get the girl to leave, stating she has the wrong address and her name is Emma Phillips. Selena looks at the picture she is holding and says that no, she is Kimberly Hart and she is going to teach her to be the next Power Ranger. Selena reveals that she has an old photo of Kimberly and Trini unmasked in their morphed forms and she has Trini’s Power Morpher!
To be continued…
Appearing[]
Featured Characters:
Red Ranger | Jason Lee Scott |
Blue Ranger | Billy Cranston |
Black Ranger | Zack Taylor |
Pink Ranger | Kimberly Hart/Emma Phillips |
Yellow Ranger | Trini Kwan (flashback) |
Green Ranger | Tommy Oliver (flashback) |
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Locations:
- Moon (flashback)
- Earth
- Command Center
- Trini Kwan Memorial Park and Youth Center
- Chet's Diner
- Kimberly's House
Covers[]
Reprints[]
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return TPB
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Pink Ranger Deluxe Edition
Errors[]
- To be added
Notes[]
- Kimberly is wearing one of Tommy's necklaces during her visit to Angel Grove.
- Artist Nico Leon revealed on social media that the Bulk & Skull gag in the flashback scene started with a Bulk scheme to use a divining rod to unmask the Rangers that went out of control.[5]
- Kimberly keeps a card from Trini in her home, inside it is the phrase “Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger”.
- The Big Time Collectibles variant cover is a tribute to the 1990s Power Rangers games for home consoles of the era, with the sprites based on the Sega incarnations of the MMPR games while the outer image is styled to look like artwork from a retro arcade cabinet.
- The Stashhhloot Esau Escorza variant cover is a reference to the cover for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin Issue 1.
- Amy Jo Johnson and David Yost did a live reading of Issue 1 on social media, reprising their roles as Kimberly and Billy. [6]
References[]
Footnotes[]